Polyamide modified with green tea extract for fresh minced meat active packaging applications

Abstract

New antioxidant polyamide was prepared by total immersion in active extract for 48 h. Its antioxidant performance was tested using DPPH (IC₅₀ = 270 ± 21 μg/g) and ORAC (1.52 µmol Trolox/g). In vivo study was done using fresh minced meat stored at 4 °C and analysed after 0, 6, 13, 19, 23 days. After 23 days metmyoglobin (MetMb_BK = 31.3 ± 2.9% and MetMb_AOX = 25.9 ± 0.8%), CIE L*a*b* (a*_BK = 15.0 ± 0.4 and a*_AOX = 16.6 ± 0.3) and TBARS (MDA_BK = 0.0060 ± 0.0003 µg/g and MDA_AOX = 0.0044 ± 0.0002 µg/g) showed an improvement of meat shelf life. The results showed that this active film protected meat during 23 days. Migration study to food simulants was done by UPLC®-QqQ-MS and UPLC®-ESI-Q-TOF-MS^E. A decrease of oligomers migration (for caprolactam n = 3: BK = 0.050 ± 0.004 mg/Kg; AOX = 0.019 ± 0.001 mg/Kg) was found. INDUSTRIAL RELEVANCE: Nowadays, food industry is focused on improving shelf life of products by controlling its lipid oxidation using natural antioxidants. The obtained results let us design a new active packaging based on natural antioxidants for extending the shelf life of fresh minced meat at industrial scale.

Keywords: Active packaging; Green tea; Meat; Migration; Oligomers; Polyamide; Total immersion.